Background: Harborside Marijuana Facility Runs Into Trouble

The IRS just handed down yet another decision that further cements their position on the cannabis industry and how these businesses must deal with 280e and the other tax laws that restrict them from the same benefits that most other businesses use to save money. Here’s what happened.

Harborside Health Center, owned by Patients Mutual Assistance Collective Corporation, was one of the largest dispensaries in California. This action followed an unsuccessful civil forfeiture case where the federal government wanted to force them out of their lease (citing 280e). Harborside then decided to use the government's lack of action to their advantage, which ultimately didn’t work out in their favor in the end. Harborside sold many products other than medicinal cannabis, and also offered classes and services to their clients. Based on the wide range of products and services offered, Harborside wanted to be able to make tax...

What does a pound of weed cost to grow? What are the production factors involved, and how does that affect recordkeeping procedures for growers and their accounting professionals?

In order for cannabis growers to take advantage of maximum allowable deductions under 280E, accounting professionals must understand how to properly determine the true cost of growing/producing their client’s product. The actual operations of a grower is important for accounting professionals looking to serve cannabis companies, as resource allocation during different cycles of a grow will affect their ability to claim allowable deductions. Opportunities abound for accounting professionals to maximize deductions throughout the seed-to-sale process; from labor all the way to distribution…

Whether you have cannabis accounting clients or are looking to specialize and service this industry, you’re going to need a special set of tools and processes. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, we’ve created an infographic that sort of outlines all of the tools that we use to provide services to our clients. You can check out our cannabis accounting tools here.

In terms of running a thriving cannabis accounting practice, there are a number of challenges that we are faced with. Without proper systems for managing clients, it can create more trouble than it is worth, and eat into profitability.

We get a plethora of questions daily as to how to overcome the challenges that both CEOs and accounting professionals are faced with in this nascent industry that is in hyper-growth. Some challenges include:

When Dope CFO first started it was to service actual cannabis clients such as dispensaries, grows, and edible makers, who were trying to understand and navigate the complex financials of the business. Here's our founders advice to those thinking about breaking into the often lucrative profession of cannabis accounting.

Marijuana is legal in several U.S. states, however, it’s still not legal federally. This case causes obstacles for many banks and marijuana-related businesses (MRBs).

President Obama’s administration allowed banks and legally established MRBs to do business, as long as banks complied with the extensive guidelines, which monitored the MRBs’ commercial activities and filed quarterly any suspicious activity reports. But on Jan. 4 Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescind these policies, and uncertainty spread among businesses and banks alike.

By canceling these policies, Sessions is simply giving federal attorneys the option to prosecute in their states. According to the Washington Post, several of the 13 U.S. attorneys in the eight states where recreational pot is legal have said they will only prosecute if a cannabis business has ties to crime or violence”.

What does this mean for banks and MRB’s? With banks and MRBs on shaky footing, Andrew...

Dope CFO Andrew Hunzicker and Naomi Granger have been featured in TD Ameritrade's Market Watch, 'Pot Stocks, ETFs, Top News And Data From The Cannabis Industry This Week'. Check out how we are educating business and equipping them with qualified CPA's to better serve their marijuana business.

Naomi Granger, Co-Founder of DOPE CFO, is featured in a recent episode of The Maria + Jane: Women in Cannabis Business podcast to share about the knowledge and practices needed to thrive as an accountant in the cannabis world.

Maria & Jane is dedicated to inspiring and informing women in (or interested in) the cannabis business landscape. Their weekly newsletter and podcast, provides news stories, deep insights, and interviews. Listeners hear perspectives from founders, growers, advocates and more to help them navigate the fast-paced world of cannabis business.

In the episode, Naomi shares her passion about the rapidly growing cannabis industry and work with CEOs to help them maximize their cash flow, minimize their tax burden and never worry when the auditors come around. She also provides insight to:

Oregon has experienced a price spiral following the legalization of recreational cannabis in 2014. California, despite its population of over 39 million people and many tourists, may face the same problem. Oversupply is the primary market condition that has driven prices in Oregon.

However, the scenario of a California cannabis price spiral is unlikely. Now there is a push for federal laws to fully legalize cannabis and enable the interstate trade to fulfill demand across state lines. The basic economics of supply and demand – with cities and counties restricting the sale of cannabis – provide an optimistic outlook for entrepreneurs.

As cannabis accounting professionals, we get a number of inquiries from cannabis businesses that insist that they can cut corners and tip-toe around the rules.Here’s the thing… CANNABIS IS STILL ILLEGAL.The first federal sentencing of a legal marijuana business owner for tax crimes is set to take place on November 1st. Partial owner of Cannabliss Dispensary in Eugene OR, Matthew Price has been sentenced to federal prison and $263K in restitution by the IRS.No matter how many people advised him not to, Mr. Price was caught for failing to report nearly $1M dollars in company income when he commingled the money with his personal expenses. Buying sports cars, Rolex watches, vacations, and even homes were just some of his 'business' purchases.As an accounting professional, YOU are the expert. It's important that you help your clients understand the importance of proper accounting in this industry and the repercussions of negligence. The problem is that most of the time...

Nevada experienced a tax windfall last fiscal year, exceeding reported expectations by $265 million in state tax revenue for recreational marijuana sales. And with these sales come an increased look at Nevada and how they are regulating this new industry. In the Forbes article "Cannabis Sales Booming In A State That 'Knows How To Regulate Vice'" they ask Dope CFOs Naomi Granger to weigh in:

“Accurate accounting helps cannabis companies minimize their tax burden and reduce the risk of incurring heavy fees and penalties. Mistakes can result in companies losing their licenses and being forced to shut down, so stakes are high,” said Granger.

Our training opportunities and online community are here to teach you and partner with you in navigating the issues brought forward in Forbes article. Contact us to learn more.